Eating the Melon and Eating It Yourself
In the Garden Square.
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
…
Waves of spirited shouts echoed across the square as a group of men trained with intense focus. Their movements were disciplined, their determination unwavering.
Amidst the rigorous training, one figure stood out—drenched in sweat, his fighting spirit burning fiercely. At first glance, he seemed like a true warrior, a man of martial prowess.
Not far away, on the outskirts of the training grounds, an elegant setup had been arranged under a massive parasol—ornate sofas and a finely crafted coffee table.
The figure reclining lazily in the shade was none other than Charlotte Xia Luo himself.
With a relaxed demeanor, he observed the training session with great interest, occasionally offering guidance to his younger siblings when their techniques strayed from precision.
Today, the men were particularly enthusiastic, each one pushing themselves harder than usual. The reason? Charlotte's presence.
They knew all too well that if their leader ever caught them slacking, he wouldn't hesitate to put them through a brutal private training session.
That kind of hellish experience… was something they absolutely could not afford to endure.
Thus, not a single person dared to let their guard down.
Beneath the shade, Charlotte nodded approvingly from time to time. It was clear that he was pleased with their progress.
The more one sweats in training, the greater their chances of survival in battle.
Especially now that they had embarked on the treacherous path of piracy—discipline was no longer an option, but a necessity.
---
The Newspaper
"Charlotte, today's newspaper."
A soft voice called out.
Lina approached, handing him a freshly printed copy.
"Ah, thank you. You've worked hard," Charlotte said as he took the newspaper and unfolded it.
His sharp eyes scanned the headlines:
[Big News!!! Vice Admiral Garp and the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, clash in a fierce battle on Edd War Island!]
[Shocking! The Wang Zhi Pirates defeat the White Hat Pirates!]
[Unbelievable! A Thousand-Year Dragon spotted near Chimei Island?!]
[Dangerous! The Mongo Pirates sink a Marine warship!]
…
Charlotte let out a low chuckle.
What a chaotic world.
War never ceased, conflict never stopped.
But what truly relieved him was the absence of any news regarding the disappearance of certain islands.
That meant his plan had been executed flawlessly.
Move in silence. Leave no trace.
That's how you stay safe.
Setting the newspaper down, Charlotte picked up his wine glass and swirled the dark liquid inside before taking a slow, deliberate sip.
At that moment, a commotion erupted.
---
Beta's News
"Boss! Boss!"
The loud voice of Beta echoed from afar.
Charlotte sighed. Here we go again.
Beta always had this terrible habit of being loud and restless—a man with no sense of composure.
Trailing closely behind him was Barrett, his usual companion. The two were practically inseparable.
Upon reaching Charlotte, Beta immediately started gesturing wildly, looking like an excited mountain monkey performing a ridiculous dance.
Charlotte rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache coming on.
"Beta," he said with a sigh, "do you think you could act a little more dignified? There are a lot of people watching."
"Heh heh, boss, don't worry! I know what I'm doing. Besides, if anyone dares to laugh at me, my fists—as big as sandbags—will make them shut up real quick!"
Charlotte felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
This idiot…
Before he could say anything else, Beta leaned in way too close, spitting as he talked.
"Boss! I heard something really interesting—"
Charlotte immediately pushed Beta's face away, looking disgusted.
"Would you stop spitting on me? That's incredibly rude."
"Ahem! Alright, alright!" Beta scratched his head, clearly not the least bit remorseful. Then, with a dramatic pause, he lowered his voice as if revealing a top-secret piece of information.
"I heard that an island sank recently!"
Charlotte's relaxed demeanor froze slightly.
An island… sank?
Beta nodded eagerly. "Yeah! People say it was destroyed by a meteorite that fell from the sky!"
A meteorite?
Charlotte's eye twitched. That explanation felt oddly… familiar.
Before he could process it further, Barrett scoffed.
"Idiot," he said dismissively. "I heard it was a massive Sea King that swallowed the entire island whole."
Charlotte's eyebrows twitched again.
What is this, a version 2.0 update?
Then, Lina interjected.
"That's odd… I heard that a powerful warrior destroyed the island single-handedly."
Version 3.0?!
Charlotte's heartbeat quickened. A faint sense of unease crept up his spine.
"Wait…" he asked, forcing himself to remain calm. "Where did this happen?"
Beta grinned, as if delivering some grand revelation.
"It was that small bay island, not too far from here!"
Charlotte's fingers tightened around his wine glass.
…That was the exact island he had secretly sunk.
Gan!
How did word spread so fast?!
With a sudden crack, the wine glass in his hand shattered into pieces.
"Boss! Are you alright?"
Lina hurriedly pulled out a silk cloth to wipe his hand.
Charlotte quickly composed himself, coughed lightly, and waved her off.
"It's nothing, just… surprising news."
No one noticed the subtle shift in his tone.
Beta, completely unaware of Charlotte's inner turmoil, continued excitedly.
"Right? It's really crazy! I wish I could've seen it firsthand!"
Charlotte forced a smirk.
"Oh? And who exactly did you hear this from?"
Beta didn't hesitate. "From the merchants passing through!"
Barrett crossed his arms. "I heard about it in a small town."
Lina nodded. "I heard it from multiple people. I doubt we could track down the exact source."
Good grief.
Charlotte let out a silent sigh of relief. The rumors were just scattered speculation, full of contradictions.
As long as no one connected the dots back to him, there was no real danger.
If the world didn't make a fuss, and if his bounty didn't suddenly spike, then everything would blow over in time.
This entire situation, though troublesome, made Charlotte realize something.
His intelligence network was severely lacking.
If something big truly happened… he might not find out until it was too late.
The incident with Ivan not long ago was proof of that.
Charlotte's gaze turned serious.
"Lina," he said, his voice firm, "tell Ivan to establish an intelligence network on Lati Island. I want every piece of information gathered immediately."
Lina nodded without hesitation.
A pirate's survival didn't just depend on strength—it depended on knowledge.
And Charlotte refused to be the last to know again.